Eind november 2008 nam GetBasic deel aan REJI, European Forum on Youth and Moving Images, in Parijs.
GetBasic modereerde het debat "Moving Image Literacy and disadvantaged audiences: What projects, what methods?"

Introtekst debat:

The subject of the debate “public in difficulties and media” is a subject that is close to my hart. As a journalist I’ve been making reports about minorities for years. And I’m very aware of the complex relationship between media and minorities. The media is a powerful instrument and the media plays a crucial role in the creation of social identities.

The media has the power to choose which images of minorities dominate the public domain. Loads of surveys in all of the countries represented here today, came to the same conclusion: minorities do not see themselves accurately reflected in the media and some are completely absent from representations.
Several tabloids in Europe use hysteric and toxic rhetoric: "...fortress Europe being invaded by immigrants...", "...there are plenty of other terrorist groups hiding just around the corner...". Stereotypes are daily confirmed and there’s a big absence of nuanced representations. Those one-sided portrayals in films and on television can easily become the reality in the minds of the audience. The way cinema and other audiovisual media portray and report on minorities greatly affects the ways the public perceives these minority groups in the society.

Therefor it's important to improve the skills of minorities and other citizens to become more involved with the media. That they learn how to speak up in order change the false perception, so they will be no longer seen as exotic outsiders, that we get rid of the "us" and "them". That we not only get the problemised stories but that we learn more about each other.

It’s not a question of being political correct, it's about dealing with reality. We're living in a multi-national-intercultural world, it’s important that the entire civil society takes part in the public debate.

Deelnemers debat:

Carmen Buro (Mucho mas que cine – Spain)
uses cinema as a didactic and learning tool.
http://www.muchomasquecine.com/

Nikos Theodosiou (Filmmaker and writer - Greece)
is a documentary filmmaker and art director of Camera Zizanio, a European festival of films directed by children and young people.
http://www.neanikoplano.gr/

Pierre Martin (Brussels Video Centre – Coup2Pouce - Belgium)
is the coordinator of ‘Coup 2 pouce’, tv by young people.
http://www.coup2pouce.magusine.net/

Mervyn Smith and Sian Harries (I heart Films – Wales, UK)
are active in community filmmaking, create film-workshops and films.

Tom Gomizelj (Dzmp - Slovenia)
created the Society for allies of soft landing. They organize film-workshops and –productions.
http://www.kid-pina.si/~dzmp/

Moderator: Greet BRAUWERS (GetBasic - Belgium)
is a belgian journalist and filmmaker.
www.getbasic.be

Meer informatie over REJI: http://www.passeursdimages.fr/REJI2008/english.html

http://www.indymedia.be/files/Article public en difficulté kyrnea.pdf